Game and game apparatus therefor



INVENTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. E. ECCLES ET AL GAME AND GAME APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed April 28, 1933 fwu u u u! 0 ,2

x v u f/a/ Sept. 22, 1936.

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GAME AND GAME APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed. April 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 22, 1936 QIUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GAME AND GAllIE APPARATUS THEREFOR Albert'E. Eccles and Maurice J. Hatfield,

Bridgeport, Conn.

Application April 28, 1933, Serial No. 668,308

Claims. (01. 273-101 This invention relates to game and game apparatus and is particularly concerned with that type of game usually referred to as an Aerial projectile game. i I

The general object of the invention is to provide a game utilizing two or more simultaneously acting aerial projectiles.

=. Another object is to provide a game and apparatus including a pair of projectile projectors which may act to discharge projectiles so that they will be in the air at the same time.

further object is to provide an aerial projectile apparatus which involves the use of manipulatable projectors which may be directed and aimed variously so as to inculcate in the game, arequirement for'accuracy and skill, thesame to be the basis for interest in the game rather than mere chance.

' A further object is to provide a game which resembles the game of Skeet such as played in the trap-shooting clubs throughout the country.

Another object is to provide a game apparatus by the operationof which a projectile will be released to fly throughtheair and while in travel, one or more other projectiles will be released from an airnable gun so that if the aim and timing 'of the second'relased projectile is accurate it will strike the first projected projectile so as to deflect 'it from its normal course of flight.

A further object'is to'provide a simple table game apparatus having means operable as and similartoatrap as used in trap shooting and a gun which is aimable and dischargeable so that the trajectories of the two projectiles may intersect so that the one may strike the other to knock it from its'normal course of flight.

The apparatus which is here presented by way of illustrating the inventive concept consists of a game board havinga'backing surface and a pair of trapswhich may'act also as receivers as'well asprojectors for alight ball whichsimulates a clay pigeon. In conjunction with these traps thereare-one on more gun mounts upon which may rest a spring gun adapted to shoot a single projectile ora plurality of projectile shots, the mounts being adjustable so as to control the elevation and direction of the shot flight. While the trap and the gun may be individually shot, it, is preferable to provide a single trigger mechanism which will include lost motion means so that the trap will first be discharged to hurl the target from one trap to the other and during the flight, a continuous movement of the main trigger will release the gun so as to discharge shots which," if the' gun is properly aimed, will strike the target and knock the target from its normal course whereby it will not be received in theopening of the other trap.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a plan view of one preferred form'of our invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation partly broken away. I a

Figure 3 is a section taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is an gun mount.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the gun mount and Figure 6 is a section taken on:line 66 of Figure2.

By reference to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral I 0 indicates the base surface of the game apparatus which the same may be of light material and is here illustrated asbeing mounted upon side and end frame rails l I and I2 respectively.

A transverse center supporting rail I3 is also provided and adjacent to the" rear edge an intermediate side rail 14 is'used so as to strengthen the apparatus and provide a mounting support for the trap projector mechanism.

The back of the baseboard III is provided with an upstanding backboard or curtain l5 which may be supported by a suitable bracket l6 and which is preferably illustrated, and decorated to lend'coloring to the imaginative reproduction of the trap-shooting game Skeet. From the back l5 extending forwardly on either side, a side curtain l1, which, together with the back curtain provide astop for the projectile from either trap or the bullet pellet from the gun. In connection with this it will be noted that a depression lfl--A enlarged section showing the is formed in the front of the baseboard and the front rail l2 which extends across thefront of the'board is'provided'with an aperturel0B adjacent to'the depression, the arrangement being such that loose shot will roll forwardly into the depression and may be scooped therefrom or discharged through the apertureof the front rail so as to facilitate loading of the gun.

Adjacent to center of the front of the base It), there are provided one or more gun mounts, a plurality thereof being here illustrated and identifiedby the numeral I8. Each gun mount includes a base flange. I9 which is'received between an upper plate 20 and a lower plate 2| so as to give a swivel bearing to the gun mount. The direction of fire of a gun is also adjustable bymounting the gun in a bifurcated top portion of the mount. An elevation screw 22 is mounted in the front portion of the bifurcation while the mount is provided on the opposite side with a bent metal gun rest 23 having a bifurcation therein at its forward end which receives a screw 24 of a gun 25 thus providing a ready means for removable position of the gun on the mount and also providing ready adjustment both of direction and elevation of a gun carried by the gun mount.

The gun may be of any conventional form as here illustratedat 25 including a spring plunger 26 having a piston 21 which works in a barrel 28. The piston 21 is provided with a groove 29 which, when the piston is drawn back to cock the gun, receives thereinend '30 of a trigger 3| which is fulcrumed upon a spring fulcrum 32, the arrangement being such that when the trigger is moved about its fulcrum the end 30 will release the groove 29 thereby permittingthe piston 21 to move forward under the influence of the plunger" spring so as to discharge shot 33 from the barrel of the gun. Obviously, only a single projectile could be used if desired and also obviously various differences and modifications of the gun itself may be resorted to without departing from the spirit 'or scope of the invention.

For discharging the gun after it is in position on the mount, a trigger arm 34 extends upwardly through the gun mount, the same being mounted on a. trigger rod 35 which extends all theway across the board underneath the base.

The trigger arms 34 are all mounted on the release rod 35. The rod is to be operated by any one of the release fingers 36. The trigger arms 34' are mounted on the 'rod 35 for lost 'motion connection therewith by means of the screw 3'! receivable in the slot 38, thus, as the release fingers 36'are actuated, the rod will be rotated both to discharge the trap as will be hereinafter explained and subsequently therewith to actuate the triggerarm and to shoot the gun'25.

Obviously, the various adjustments may be provided for in controlling the trigger arms in connection with the release rod. Connected to the release rod 35 as by set screw 39 a trap operating wire40 is provided in'conjunction with which there is knotted a turn buckle 4| so that the tension on the wire may be adjusted. The opposite end of the trap wire 40 is attached to'a trigger 42,which is normally urged forward by a spring 43.

The trigger 42 engages a spring plunger 45 mounted in a housing 44, the plunger being reciprocable in the gun barrel 46 and having thereon, a piston 41 urged normally forward by spring 48.

The barrel is provided with'a restriction 49 which limits the inward movement of the ball :or target 49A within the barrel. Thus as the spring urges the piston forwardly after the plunger '45 has been released by'the trigger 42, the ball will be struck by an impacted blow thus forcing it precipitously from the barrel. This trap discharging projectoris mounted on support 50, a cord 5l'moving'over pulley 52 acts to bring the plunger back against the tension of the spring, a setting handle 58 being'provided on the front face of the apparatus so as to naturally set the trap. The trap is mounted in conjunction with a trap 54' which has anopening 55 which receives the target after it has been discharged from the opposite trap. For'this purpose the house is provided with anopening 55 in conjunction with which is mounted a back stop 56, the arrangement being such that a trap having been fired from the opposite trap house will enter the opening, strike the back stop and 'drop downwardly to the open end 51 of the projector thus putting it in the position to be again discharged by action of the gun 46 of the trap.

In the operation of the device it will seem that the trap or ball once loaded in the trap house and the trap set will be discharged by the initial action of the release rod 35 which, upon further movement, will also release or fire the gun 25; the barrel 28 of which may be set both in direction and elevation so that byapractice in accuracy it may be arranged so that the gun will a discharge pellets which knock the trap from its normal flight from one trap house to the other 'thus preventing it from being received in the opposite trap house thus making the score for the operator. Obviously, the invention is not restricted to the number of gun mounts and simplification may be obviously had by merely one trap and one gun mount.

Furthermore, it may be in some cases desirable to permanently mount the gun on the gun mount and various different arrangements of a trap house may be had. Also the number of traps may be varied, it being understood that in this illustrated embodiment of the invention, a single release means is provided for both. 1 r

It is sufiicient, therefore, to say that the invention contemplates the use of two projectors which may be operated from a single trigger to successively release projectiles which, if properly aimed, will intercept each other in their flight.

The lost motion connection between the operation of the trap and the gun is an important matter since a mere intersection of the trajectory of the projectile will not operate to count a score unless the timing is such that the projectiles themselves strike.

It is obvious that the invention is not confine to the structural details herein illustrated by way of illustration, and it is understood that numerous changes and modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention as outlined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus set forth the nature of our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a game apparatus a'pair of oppositely disposed projectors adapted to successively receive and throw a projectile from one to the other and a third projector adapted to project one or more shots towards the trajectory of the first named projectile, the third projector being aimable to control manually the trajectory of the shot fired thereby, and a single control means for operating all of said projectors.

2. In a game apparatus a pair of oppositely disposed projectors each having receiving apertures and separate discharging barrels, said barrels being disposed to project a projectile into the receiving aperture of the opposite projector and a common operating means for both of said projectors.

3. In a game apparatus, a pair of oppositely disposed projectors each having receiving apertures and separate discharging barrels, said barrels being disposed to project a projectile into the receiving aperture of the opposite projector and a third projector adapted to be aimed to discharge shot to intercept the first named projectile and knock it from its normal flight from one to the other of said pair of projectors, and a single trigger means for operating all of said projectors.

4. Ina game apparatus, a pair of target traps 'moun'ted i thereon, and a gun mount thereon adapted to receive a gun and a single trigger mechanism for firing said traps and. said gun.

5. In a game apparatus, a pair of target traps mounted thereon, and a gun mount thereon adapted to receive a gun and a single trigger mechanism for firing said traps and said gun,

and lost motion connection between the trap firing portion of said mechanism and the gun firing portion thereof, whereby the trap will be fired by initial movement of said trigger movement while the gun will be fired by subsequent movement.

' ALBERT E. ECCLES.

MAURICE J. HATFIELD. 

